Map: The Race for the Senate

Most of the political world’s attention this year has been focussed on the Presidential race. But there are a lot of other campaigns, all around the country, which may each mean almost as much. We speak, of course, of the battle for control of the U.S. Senate, the place where a President’s agenda so often goes to die. If President Obama is reëlected, but his Party loses control of the Senate, he’ll be unable to get new appointees approved. (Imagine the fight over a new Supreme Court nominee.) On the other hand, if Mitt Romney is elected the next President, but Democrats retain the Senate, Romney would have to face a divided Congress, with one chamber standing ready to block his legislation. The map above gives a sense as to how things may shake out on Tuesday, and over the next two years. Click to expand.

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